


Error of judgment

by byami



Series: Elijah's presents [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Deviant Original Chloe | RT600, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Siblings, F/M, Flashbacks, Gavin Reed Being an Asshole, Gavin Reed Needs a Hug, Gavin Reed Redemption, Hurt Gavin Reed, M/M, Machine Upgraded Connor | RK900, Past Drug Addiction, Past Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), RA9 - Freeform, RK500, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24980254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byami/pseuds/byami
Summary: This ff is my idea to explain Gavin's hate for androids. (Part 3)After the accident that had triggered a panic attack from the detective, RK900's and Reed's work relationship has improved. Until the android  noticed system errors and is confronted with memories, he shouldn't have. What is happening to his programs? What has the former CEO of CyberLife to do with his model?*~++~~*"Do you think androids can dream, Detective Reed?"The human stopped, while RK900 was watching him./// Priorities restored.////1. Priority: Protect Detective Reed //// 2. Priority: Take care of Detective Reed.//// Temporary Mission: Earn Detective Reed's trust //*~++~~*"And?" Gavin said softly. His hands were shaking. He sensed the worst.“Nothing will harm this model. It'll be perfect to protect you around town and- ”"No."Gavin's voice cut through the lab and stopped Elijah's flow of speech.His brother looked at him stunned. "Why not?"
Relationships: Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed, Original Chloe | RT600 & Elijah Kamski, Original Chloe | RT600/Elijah Kamski, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: Elijah's presents [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1391419
Comments: 34
Kudos: 123





	Error of judgment

**Error of judgment**

**September 29, 2030**

Gavin couldn't believe it.

It was hard enough to visit his brother, but standing in the private lab of the fancy mansion was horrible exhausting and nerve wrecking. Normally, it was nice to be this far away from the chaos in Detroit. The beautiful nature and silence helped Gavin to relieve some stress, but now, standing in the clinical white and shiny laboratory, the effect was gone. He felt small. Vulnerable. His vision was fading. Just Elijah’s face stayed sharp. 

His brother had withdrawn to help him after the last destructive year.

After six months in the clinic and visiting therapy, Gavin had moved in with him. Elijah had kept an eye on him. He looked after Gavin everytime, when the younger had woken up screaming in the night or had a panic attack in the middle of the day. Elijah had prepared himself during Gavin's drug withdrawal to provide personal and medical support, and he paid the best therapists. Everything Gavin needed was here. In this safe mansion. But now, the place felt _wrong._

Gavin had needed distance. From the city. From the job. From everything.

He had been on sick leave at work for months now. That would be had been a problem if not the captain had his back and had helped Elijah to cover up the whole damn story. Gavin had burst into tears. Relieved that he had a place to come back when he was ready and that his job stayed safe. Everyone else in the precinct thought he had an accident and was now in rehab for recovery.

Captain Fowler, his partner Jackson and his best friend Tina were the only ones who knew what had happened. Elijah had cleverly arranged the rest: Gavin's career and reputation were safe and untouched from a scandal and his misery.

Getting out of the city had helped him to recover very quickly and there was no way to get ketamines in the middle of the nowhere. He couldn’t dive into a world of fog and apathy.

It was also peaceful at the countryside. The pure nature and the harsh climate were refreshing. Gavin loved the sea view and loneliness. No people who tormented him with questions or who could piss him off with their joy and carelessness.

As long as he was in the villa, he had almost true peace. The only down side were the personal androids of his brothers. 

Gavin couldn't stand androids. Not since last year. In the clinic, the pure sight of androids had triggered anxiety and self-destructive behavior in him. He once even attacked one of the plastic nurses, after his body has regained some strength. After that, Elijah had put him in a new, more expensive clinic that was absolutely android free.

From that point on, he was slowly going uphill.

Elijah had tried to create a android free place in his villa and sent his Chloe’s away for some time. It was small miracle, because his nerd brother was hardly able to survive alone, but for Gavin he had tried everything in his power and even gained some more independence for himself. Living together with his older brother and having a normal life had given Gavin a sense of security back. Something that the detective needed urgently, than thanks to the ketamine addiction and the events, he had developed psychotic features.

The latter worsened when he moved back to Detroit.

His old apartment was out of the question. He couldn't stand it for a second and thanks to Elijah he had found a better one. Out of a guilty conscience, his brother bought him the new apartment so that Gavin had no longer to worry about rent.

All that was left were eerie shadows in every corner of his new and empty home.

Gavin felt persecuted. 

Every android on the street triggered his fighting and flight instincts and after he returned to service, he noticed that he has developed a hostile and more violent behavior. Especially when he had to deal with the damn plastic fuckers. 

Most officers thought he was just bitter thanks to the “accident” that had thrown him back in his career.

His gruff manner quickly became hatred to anyone who dared to strain his nerves. Something that happened very fast and easily now. Soon Detective Reed had a bad reputation. Even the newcomer were warned of him. Gavin lacked the strength to resist this development and didn’t want anyone to know about his shame and weakness.

Tina tried to be at his side and had visited him often enough with Eli in the clinic - initially intimidated and shocked that he was related to Elijah fucking Kamski, but she quickly got used to his weird, big brother. Though the new Gavin was hard to deal with. Even for her. She failed often, when she had do deal with his changed state of mind.

The situation in Detroit worsened when Jackson had to retire. After the attack of Gavin’s android he wasn’t capable anymore to do field work. And the hours at the desk didn’t help. Jackson’s health condition worsened. Gavin hated himself for it. It was his fault that his partner couldn’t work anymore. 

His partner was hurt because of him.

And yet, Elijah had decided to make Gavin's life even worse.

Gavin stared blankly at the desk. Numerous programs were open on the computer screen. Tablets and paper flooded the work surface next to the computer. Technology - cables, screws and LEDs - was scattered around like ammunition. Lights flashed alarmingly, and classical music played in the background, which his brother always heard when he was working.

Gavin was afraid to look up. He didn't know what he would do when he saw Elijah's arrogant, complacent face.

Or if he caught another glimpse of the thing behind his brother.

His pulse was racing. He wanted to turn around and run as far away as he could. Maybe even run back to Detroit, but instead Gavin stood there stiff. The limbs heavy and numb.

Forced to listen to the bragging of the elder man.

“It will be better than any other model. I’m working on a stronger skeleton, on a new material that is covered with artificial skin. It will be smarter, better, stronger and faster. The perfect bodyguard!”

"And?" Gavin said softly. His hands were shaking. He sensed the worst.

“Nothing will harm this model. It'll be perfect to protect you around town and- ”

_"No."_

Gavin's voice cut through the lab and stopped Elijah's flow of speech.

His brother looked at him stunned. "Why not?"

 _"Why not?"_ Gavin echoed, astonished, his tongue dripping with poison, "You're kidding me, aren't you? I can't even stand those plastic things on the street, let alone those in the police station. And after the last piece of shit, you want to put one of your monsters on my neck again!?! A new one, that is even more dangerous? _What the phuck is wrong with you?!”_

His voice grew louder at the end until it was roaring through the laboratory. Elijah looked at him blankly.

“You get me wrong, Gav. It’s made to protect you from other androids. I’ll program it with the right knowledge so that it can take care of you. CyberLife has already worked on a therapist program and-”

"Phuck it!" Gavin took a few angry steps towards his brother and grabbed him by the collar of his sweater. "I don’t want that shit. Your first gift has already gone crazy and almost killed me!”

Elijah stepped back and tried to release Gavin's hand. He was pale like a corpse. 

“It was a program bug. Just a mistake. I'm working on the problem and it’ll never happen again! I’ll make sure that the prototype stays flawless.” Eli snapped back. Not in an angry way. It was just weak. Just concerned. “The machine will follow all your orders and destroy itself before it can hurt you. You don't have to be afraid.”

Every word sounded like bullshit in Gavin's ears. Tears ran down his cheeks and his body started to tremble. All of these were just empty promises. 

“A mistake. A _single, phucking mistake.”_ Gavin was shaking. ”Hadn't you already programmed it to protect me? To take care of me? _And what happened then?”_ His scratchy voice sounded painfully loud. Saliva splashed on Elijah's cheek and sweater.

_"What happened then?"_

Elijah swallowed as his little brother asked again. He stayed silent. 

Gavin continued to growl. But it lost more and more power until just a whisper slipped from his lips:

“You made it to want me. It could ... you had equipped the phucking machine for … for _it._ Was that a _mistake,_ too? Was it a stupid, little mistake that you fucking programmed it to fuck me? To control me? To kidnap me?”

In his brother's wide eyes, Gavin read horror.

"Gavin, I _never would_ \- I never wanted it to hurt you!"

"Hurt me?!" Before Gavin knew what he had done, Elijah stumbled back. Blood dripped from his brother’s chapped lips as he held his chin with a painful groan and swear. Shocked, Elijah stared at him. The grey eyes were burning with betrayal and horror. 

Gavin's blood boiled and drowned out his guilty conscience. Instead, he held his aching hand and shouted at the older one.

"What you did was far worse than a little bit hurt..." Gavin gasped, his throat burned, and his head whirred. His aching hand whirled helplessly through the air.

"Phuck you," Gavin finally managed to say, _"I hate you. I phucking hate you_. ” 

His poisonous stammer made the other flinch as if he'd hit him again. 

And Gavin couldn't take it anymore. It felt like everything was falling apart. With a trembling finger, he pointed to the half-finished monster behind his brother. It waited there silently between the machine arms like a marionette.

"Destroy that thing, or I'll never talk to you again! No more shitty presents for the rest of my life- did you get it?”

Before Elijah could answer him, Gavin rushed out of the lab and searched for his smartphone to call a taxi. He wouldn't stay in that damn place for a minute.

* +++++++ *

Elijah screamed and swept his work off the table in anger and despair. His jaw ached like hell, but that wasn't what made him crouch over his work place as he tugged at his hair.

The otherwise tight-fitting bun was loosened. Tears dripped onto the metal tabletop before he rubbed his face with his sleeve and clawed the edge to keep himself upright. He heard the door behind him.

"Mister Kamski."

He turned and met the friendly face of his RT600 model. She held out a glass of water and a painkiller. Without a word, he took the tablet and rinsed it down. After inhaling deeply through his nose a few times, he asked about his little brother.

“Mister Reed stormed out and called a taxi. He’s taking a walk by the sea while he waits. I'm sure it helps to lower his stress levels.”

Elijah rubbed his face wearily. "We shouldn't leave him alone."

“One of the other Chloe's is keeping an eye on him. From far. We don't want to increase his stress even further. I don't recommend that you go after him. There could be another confrontation. ”

The creator of androids knew she was right. 

When Gavin was angry, it was impossible to talk to him sensibly - and Elijah knew he had totally messed it up. He knew that he lacked human sensitivity, that he was not good with humans and preferred to remain alone, but his little brother had always been the exception.

They had always been there for each other. The first years of their childhood, they even thought they were twins - born so close to each other and outwardly similar. Nothing could separate them. Not their parents. Not school. Not their different characters. Not their jobs.

Gavin and he had argued before, but never fought like that. Elijah was older but always weaker and Gavin had always protected him at school. Though Gavin had _neve_ r raised his hand against him. No matter what had happened.

With a groan, Elijah looked at his trembling hands and clenched them into fists. 

"Why does everything I touch turn to shit...?" He whispered to himself, while he missed Chloe's concerned look. Instead, she stayed silent and followed him as he went to the android station.

An almost finished prototype hung in the machine arms. At first, he didn't appear to be much different from the rest of the androids. Big, broad shoulders. A male model. The clinical white-silver body, however, was crossed with small blue lines. One arm was still missing and some cable connections hung loosely from the open neck. Elijah had previously tested the new thirium pump, which visibly pumped in the open chest like a heartbeat. The LED on the forehead circulated golden while testing the basic systems. The eyes of his latest creation were closed. The skull was still bald and so far it had only modulated the shape. The next step would have been the details. He has worked like a maniac to finish the new android for Gavin's birthday.

But his brother didn't want his gift.

Elijah rubbed his throbbing jaw.

He had been so extremly stupid.

"Nine thousand dollars for nothing," he murmured, feeling empty. Not because of the amount of money he had put into this handmade creation for over a year, but because he had harmed Gavin with it.

“It would be a waste to destroy the prototype. The parts are difficult to reuse. It's unique, but the technology is more advanced than the last CyberLife models. They would certainly pay a lot for the design and the new programs, ”Chloe advised, and he knew his assistant was right. She was already checking the data on a tablet.

"Tests would’ve to be carried out to determine if the cost would be worth going into mass production, but parts of the programs could be reused elsewhere and help drive their own development forwards."

"I know," Elijah said emotionless. He didn't care what CyberLife got from his hard work. The new model hadn’t served its real purpose and was now meaningless to him. He turned away from the prototype and went back to his desk to tidy up. Chloe started to help him wordlessly.

He put the documents down and paused, while Chloe placed a stack of sheets next to him. In his hand was the research into the rA9 topic; the bug in the androids' program that led to the illusion of feelings and allowed them to violate their security programming and attack their owners. 

Even before RK500 it had happened.

In the beginning, CyberLife had gotten the software bug under control. Androids that failed the test had been dismantled and their hard drives deleted. For the first few years there had been no defective subjects on the market. But than the defect android cases and mistakes happened more often and CyberLife couldn’t do anything. It was like a virus. Annoying, but not very problematic. They could just destroy the deviants.

Though since RK500 became a failure and tortured Gavin, Elijah has had a new obsession:

The rA9 virus.

It was his own, personally mission to destroy this terrible bug that had nearly killed his brother and he has vowed to himself that this would never happen again. 

He looked back at the new prototype with regret. He had tried to prevent the error, created stronger virus protection and he was sure that the new CyberLife management would be eager to get their hands on his research. They would pay a fortune to keep their products safe. For this reason, he had recorded everything on paper. This made theft impossible with a hack, and apart from the RT600 models, nobody knew about his latest rA9 research.

On the tablet screen he saw his new design. So much effort went into it - it would be a shame to destroy it. For a second his finger paused over the delete button.

Next to the android's prospective face (which was not longer necessary) was an old digital photo. A teenager laughed at the camera. Dark brown, almost black hair. Side cuts. Bright blue eyes and small birthmarks that gave the face character. Elijah’s design was based on this boy, but the scientist had used a self written program to create an adult version of this face and refined the result to his liking: There were a wider chin now and the lower brows gave the design an intimidating, strong expression. To be honest, Elijah had hoped that the familiar features would give Gavin a sense of security and win his favor.

Chloe cleared her throat.

“Maybe it's better that way. Mister Reed might have reacted worse if he had seen the finished design. ” She picked up the next thing from the floor. “As you know, I advised against taking a familiar face., There was a high probability that it would have troubled him to see this person again.”

“Nath was not RK500. The new model would be like Nath, not like this terrible failure ..." He touched the rA9 documents," I wanted to create the perfect machine for Gav. So that he never has to be afraid again. So that nobody can be a danger. But as usual, I did everything wrong.”

Elijah groaned. The next headache was coming.

“Just because I made a mistake. Everything happened because my programming is faulty. This is inexcusable. No customer should be hurt by an android. Never again.”

"Maybe it's not a mistake," Chloe whispered, pressing a tablet to her chest. Elijah just growled. Too distracted to listen to her.

He had decided that it was better to share his research on rA9. He closed the programs with the design.

“We are stopping development. Prepare everything. CyberLife can do what they wants with the prototype.”

Chloe lowered the tablet. She sounded unusually quiet.

"Yes, Mister Kamski."

* +++++++ *

**June 10, 2039**

Two impatient fingers flicked him back to reality. Detective Reed's face appeared before his eyes. The eyebrows were pulled together and the corners of the mouth went down.

“Move, tin can! We have a case. ”

RK900 just nodded and got the new messages that he had automatically blocked in standby mode. His HUD had finally stabilized again, but he felt dizzy. His systems were starting surprisingly slowly. Delayed by at least a frightening 10 seconds. While watching his partner pull his leather jacket off his chair and slip into it, Richard made a program check.

**// All systems ACTIVE //**

**// Performance 100% //**

Strange. He hadn't imagined it. He still felt a glitch. A finger in his hand twitched and he rose from the chair more slowly than usual. Not enough to be noticed by a human, but the RK900 didn't miss it.

Richard stiffly followed his partner into the police car, while his thoughts were racing. Just when Detective Reed entered the address into the navigation system, Richard's deep voice interrupted him. Slight static crackled in it.

"Do you think androids can dream, Detective Reed?"

The man stopped. Irritated.

“The phuck? Why’re you asking me that right now?”

"I encountered error messages during the standby phase."

Reed snorted and finished typing. “How should I know? If you're broken, go to Jericho or CyberLife. I can't use you if you’re garbage.”

RK900 didn’t react. What did he expect from the aggressive, narrow-minded human whose development had stayed in the Middle Ages?

The android stared out the window while driving to the crime scene. But the events from his standby phase were still present in his mind. He searched the internet for an answer, but there were clearly too many interpretations and opinions on the subject of dreams, while some other websites users argued over whether androids were capable of dreaming. Many of these discussions quickly took a racist direction and he stopped searching. Instead, Richard went through his saved records.

There was nothing similar. Only snippets of memory that had only been recorded after he woke up. He remembered three voices, but they were so faint and consumed that he couldn't identify them. The words made no sense and were completely out of context.

**Newer. Better. Stronger.**

**Bodyguard. Thing. Mistake.**

**Machine. Present. Prototype.**

And **Kamski.**

His software tried to reconstruct it, but it was different to the data of his programming: Mister Kamski had had nothing to do with its manufacture. Richard was not a prototype. Connor was one, not him. RK900 was the finished, brilliant end product from CyberLife.

_Smarter. Stronger. Better._

He paused and error messages appeared again in his field of vision. His LED shifted uneasily between yellow and red. RK900 tried to focus on what its original programming was. His bug report apparently seemed to respond to something in this context - maybe he found out what was wrong with him.

He checked the part of his programing which seemed the problem.

**//RK900. //**

**//Military model. Update: Deviant hunter.//**

**//Mission: Destroy the faulty androids. Priority: Gather information about rA9.//**

This was his old purpose. The deviant virus has freed him from it. 

One of Richard’s fingers twitched again. Did his error messages have anything to do with the deviant virus? Had it not only freed him from his programming, but also damaged his data records?

Its _original programming_ was that of a ~~**soldier.** ~~

**Bodyguard.**

RK900 blinked irritated and his HUD went completely red as if the world around him was on fire.

There was something. A file. A very old file, closed and sealed off. He took a closer look at the folder and found that the rest of his programming had been built on it.

Was what he thought to be his first programming an update?

The right side of his face twitched. He tried to hack into the file, but failed. Before he could try again, the foreign fingers appeared before his eyes and he heard Detective Reed's voice close to his ear.

The man shouted at him. His audio system had shut down automatically and Reed's words were no more than a whisper as the human face turned red.

RK900 blinked and turned his head towards the detective as he adjusted his audio receptors.

"Yes, Detective Reed?"

"What's wrong with you? You've been sitting here for five minutes without a reaction while your LED is spinning! Shit, I thought you were finally ready for the trash can.”

Reed leaned back. His breath escaped him in a relieved sigh. RK900 registered the trembling of the human hands and noticed that the detective's stress level was unusually high.

Something stung RK's chest.

Was Detective Reed so upset about him? Was the small human worried?

Before RK900 could ask, the man grumbled and opened the door. "We’ve arrived."

RK900 just nodded and followed him out of the car. A new ad appeared in his HUD. There was nothing he could do about it. His data has rewritten on its own. Richard was afraid that his firewall would once again start to fight the deviancy virus. He could just watch.

He was just a **machine** to execute orders.

**// Priorities restored.//**

**//1. Priority: Protect Detective Reed //**

**// 2. Priority: Take care of Detective Reed.//**

**// Temporary Mission: Earn Detective Reed's trust //**

His LED turned red again while the android froze. His expression blank. In front of him, he saw the apartment building and their colleagues. Reed greeted Officer Collins and stepped through the hologram barrier tape.

 _No. No._ RK900 tried to overwrite and delete the data, but it kept popping in front of his eyes. And as he struggled, his whole body stopped.

He was deviant. Not a machine.

He tried to take a step and call for help, but only a crackle came out of his mouth. His contact to Connor was blocked.

**Protect Detective Reed.**

**~~Protect Detective Reed.~~ **

**I am deviant.**

~~**I am deviant.** ~~

RK900 was trapped in its own body.

**Protect Detective Reed.**

“Dipshit! What are you waiting for? Move your ass!”

The man's voice released him. His feet started to move mechanically. His eyes were on his target - the face with the storm-gray eyes shone like a signal fire in the distance.

Detective Reed grumbled when RK reached him and they could finally investigate the murder together. Without an order, he stayed close to the man, unable to act himself, and it was only when his partner told him to do his “phucking job”, that he was finally able to start working. So he was able to search for evidence at the crime scene, while his body reacted by itself.

RK900 cried out inwardly and desperately.

Instead of words, only static noises came from his mouth and when he rose to report to Detective Reed like a good machine, Reed held up his hand defensively.

At first the android expected the man to hit him again, but now, the detective spoke to him quietly and calmly. Almost gently, he watched the large android. The only witness for this behavior was the dead body between them. 

“Something's wrong. Your LED has been yellow since the lightshow in the car. I… do you need a break or something?”

RK900 shook his head in silence and without his intervention. His face was a perfect emotionless mask, while he was screaming in his head.

"Are you sure? I know I am an asshole, but it's ok when you need a moment. I can wait outside, if it helps."

Richard's inner panic was only briefly interrupted by amazement. Never before he had experienced the almost peaceful and friendly behavior of his partner. It remembered Richard at the time when Reed has spoken to the victim of domestic abuse. He could see how the human's hard features loosened, how his eyes grew wide with concern, and how his lips moved as he spoke. Not as usual, hate and poison dripped from them, but soft, calm words reached RK's ears.

Reed watched him skeptically, took RK’s hand, and then led him to a chair where he had to sit. A warm hand lay on his LED and for a tiny moment it seemed to calm Richard down. He could feel the soft touch and when he gave into it, his voice and body control was back.

His HUD was suddenly stabilized. 

"I don't know," croaked RK900, "but I think it's over."

The mission signs were gone.

"Great" Reed sighed. Unsure of what to do. “Do you need thirium? Anything else? Or do you want to take a break? ” His warm fingers still touched Richard’s temple. They were surprisingly gentle.

Detective Reed had never touched him on his own.

The insight sent a wave of heat through his circuits and his cooling system turned on immediately. The bugs weren't all fixed yet.

Another message arrived.

**// New owner registered.//**

**// Owner: Gavin Reed.//**

RK900's thirium pump stopped working. Horror filled every part of his useless body.

~~**Deviant.** ~~

**Machine.**

**Author's Note:**

> Background information:
> 
> 1)The first part is a flashback / dream of RK900. You can see that he is awake and that his systems are working. The data should be deleted later, but it seems that he can remember some parts. Maybe it has something to do with his system problems.
> 
> 2)The mentioned RK500 is Nathan, the android from the former ffs of this series. Have a look if you want learn more about him and Gavin's past. 
> 
> 3) Gavin's and Elijah's relationship is damaged after this situation. They don't have much contact anymore and Gavin become a lone wolf. The only people who are still with him are Tina and his former partner Jackson (and his family). The trust between the two brothers is nearly gone.
> 
> 4) Eli and CyberLife know about rA9 long before RK500, but after RK500/Nathan came deviant, Eli was obsessed to eliminate the virus.
> 
> 5) RK900 is based on a very important person in Gavin's life. Do you still remember Nath?  
> 
> 
> Would you like to read more? . Let me know! :)  
> English is not my mother tongue. It could be that I missed some mistakes. It was a lot to translate and I have no Beta Reader for this series.  
> Comments and kudos are welcome <3  
> They will help and inspire me to write the next part ❤  
> When you are wondering, what happened before and created Gavin's trauma - please have a look in the first part of the story :)
> 
> What do you think could happen next? Will RK900 stay a machine? How will Gavin react? Has something changed between them? 
> 
> Do you have a wish for this series? In the moment I am searching for new ideas :)


End file.
